After spending some time in Austin and New Braunfels, we continued our explorations of Texas with a two-day stay in San Antonio, the state’s most …
Memphis Tennesse: Much more than Graceland
To escape the cold and long Canadian winter, we had spent about a week in Texas, and after enjoying pleasantly warm and sunny weather in …
Downtown Memphis: Beale Street – America’s Most Iconic Street
Downtown Memphis is rather compact and easy to explore on foot. Main Street is home to a number of eateries as well as the Main …
Austin, Texas: The 6th Street Entertainment District, Saint Mary Cathedral and the Texas Capitol
The double-decker sightseeing tour was perfect for getting an overview of Austin. As this was the last tour of the day, everyone disembarked on Sabine …
Austin, Texas: First Explorations from a Double-Decker Bus
Anybody who lives in Canada or has visited this country during the winter knows that the cold season can be very long and harsh. As …
New York City Explorations: the 2015 Us Open and A Walk on 8th Street
New York City is of course home to the US Open, one of the tennis world’s four Grand Slams. As huge tennis fans, we took …
New York City Explorations: Central Park and 96th Street
New York City Explorations: Central Park and 96th Street On our second day in New York City we took the subway a couple of stops …
New York City – Long Island City, Central Park and Washington Square Park
New York City is one of my favourite city destinations. I have travelled to the Big Apple quite a number of times in recent years, …
The Italian Dolomites – Driving from Cortina d’Ampezzo to Bolzano
On our trip from Austria to Italy, our destination was Bolzano where we were going to spend the next four days. Leaving Cortina d’Ampezzo behind …
Haines Falls and the Kaaterskill Clove – Two Tourism Centres in the Northern Catskills
Before we got ready to leave for New York City on the morning of August 30, 2015, I embarked on a quick walk through Haines …
Tannersville, New York – The Painted Village in the Sky
Among the unique aspects of Tannersville are the bright and colourful facades on Main Street. As part of the vision of a local artist by …
Exploring the Catskills: Mountain Golf and An Evening in Pretty Tannersville
New York State offers some of the most picturesque landscapes in Eastern North America and we usually make a stop there on our way to …
The Italian Dolomites – Driving from San Candido to Cortina d’Ampezzo
I travel to Europe at least once a year, and this year, after my visit in Austria, I joined my brother and sister-in-law on a …
Niagara Falls Attractions: A Winter Walk around the Fallsview Area
Having left the tropical refuge of the Niagara Falls Butterfly Conservatory behind, winter had fully engulfed me again. In the late afternoon of a freezing …
Niagara Falls Attractions: A Winter Visit to the Butterfly Conservatory
It did not take me long to drive from the Niagara Falls History Museum I drove to the Niagara Parkway where I made a stop …
Niagara Falls Attractions: Family Day at the Niagara Falls History Museum
My visit to the Heartland Forest on a cold day in February of 2015 had been lots of fun. After a short drive I arrived …
Niagara Falls Attractions: Winterfest at Heartland Forest
As part of my Niagara Travel Guide project I drove into the Niagara Region again. on February 16, 2015. It was Family Day, a public …
Santa Monica: Home of the Famous Pier and the End of Route 66
From Marina del Rey and Venice Beach we kept driving north until we reached Santa Monica, one of the most popular beach towns in the …
A Driving Tour along the Pacific Ocean and a Stop in Marina del Rey
On our second and last day in the Los Angeles area we embarked on a driving tour from Hermosa Beach and drove north near the …
The Palos Verdes Peninsula – Scenic Beauty and Gorgeous Coastal Lookouts
After my first walk along the Strand in Hermosa Beach, I hopped in the car to drive about 20 minutes south to the Palos Verdes …
Hermosa Beach – Southern California Vibe At Its Best
In March of 2015 we had spent a fabulous week in California’s Coachella Valley, exploring the Palm Springs area and watching the renowned PNB Parisbas …
A Visit to the PNB Parisbas Open and the Desert Hills Premium Outlet
March 13 was our third day at the BNP Parisbas Open in Indian Wells, and it was a great day for some outstanding tennis. We …
A Visit to La Quinta & a Ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
On a sunny March 11, 2015 I continued my discoveries of the Coachella Valley and drove from Palm Desert to La Quinta, a popular resort …
Coachella Valley Travel: Shopping at River at Rancho Mirage and El Paseo
Some of the mysteries of the desert had revealed themselves to me during my visit to the desert at the Coachella Valley Preserve. Inside this …
Coachella Valley Travel: An Excursion to the Thousand Palms Oasis
California’s Coachella Valley is extremely popular with winter travellers and snowbirds who enjoy the pleasant climate during the cold months. Our getaway in March of …
Puerto Vallarta Travel: Exploring the Malecon, Isla Cuale and an Evening Walk in the Zona Romantica
By about mid-afternoon of January 6, 2015, the Puerto Vallarta Food Tour had come to an end and all the participants went off in different …
Discovering the Sights of Downtown Palm Springs
To get a bit of exercise after lunch and to get to know downtown Palm Springs we continued our walk a walk westwards on Tahquitz …
A Spring Getaway to California featuring Palm Springs and Indian Wells
Spectator sports-related travel is a huge part of tourism across the world, whether it’s the Olympics, soccer championships, Formula 1 races or other big sports …
Puerto Vallarta Food Tour: Tuba Water, Mole and Mexican Candy
Our Puerto Vallarta Food Tour continued. After an interesting culinary walk through the city’s Zona Romantica we crossed the Cuale River on a swaying wooden …
Puerto Vallarta Food Tour: More Tacos, the Pier, Coconuts, Ceviche & Tortillas
As we continued our Puerto Vallarta Food Tour towards the city’s waterfront we stopped at Tacos El Cuñado (which literally means “brother-in-law”), another family owned …
The Puerto Vallarta Food Tour: Tacos, Restaurant Row and Chocolate
It was slightly overcast on January 6, 2015 when I took the bus into downtown Puerto Vallarta. On this day I had planned expand my …
Ziplining in Puerto Vallarta: Adventure, Action and Adrenaline
In the late morning of January 5, 2015 I made my way from the Canto del Sol Resort to the office of Vallarta Adventures, just …
Hacienda El Divisadero: A Culinary Tour of Mexico
Our horseback riding adventure and our visit to the Petroglyphs had been a great way to get a feel for a truly Mexican landscape. When …
Hacienda El Divisadero: Ancient Petroglyphs & a Horseback Riding Adventure
Breakfast at the Hacienda El Divisadero, a cheese sampling and a Raicilla (or Mexican moonshine) tasting had already sensitized me to an authentic Mexican experience. …
The Real Mexico at Hacienda El Divisadero: Mexican Breakfast, an Introduction to Mexican Cheese & a Raicilla Tasting
My visit to the historic country town of El Tuito had given me a taste of the real Mexico during my excursion from Puerto Vallarta. …
A Country Excursion to Mismaloya and El Tuito
On my second day in Puerto Vallarta I had a full day planned – an excursion into the countryside south of the city. In the …
First Explorations of Puerto Vallarta
January 3, 2015 was my first day in Puerto Vallarta. On a freezing winter day in Toronto I got up at 2:30 am, arrived at …
Puerto Vallarta – More Than a Beach Paradise
Our regular readers know that Mexico is one of my favourite travel destinations and I have reported from Mexico frequently over the last 10 years. …
Exploring the Scottish Highlands: A Boat Tour of Loch Ness and a Stroll in Pitlochry
After spending about half an hour at Urquhart Castle, our group was now ready to embark on a short boat tour on Loch Ness. We …
A Visit to the Scottish Highlands: The Imposing Three Sisters, Ben Nevis and Urquhart Castle
During our day trip across the Scottish Highlands we stopped at the Three Sisters, three spectacular peaks that are located in Glen Coe, a long …
A Doubledecker Sightseeing Tour of Glasgow and the Riverside Museum
On my second day in Scotland, May 29, 2014, the weather was again cloudy, drizzly and cool, but that did not stop me from going …
Edinburgh Explored: The Royal Mile and New Town
After my visit to Edinburgh Castle I strolled along the top portion of the Royal Mile, a long thoroughfare actually composed of four ancient streets …
An Introduction to Edinburgh: St. Mary’s Cathedral, Castle Rock and Edinburgh Castle
My first full day in Edinburgh, May 28, 2014, was a bit of a grey and drizzly affair. Determined to get the most out of …
Retiring and Vacationing in San Miguel de Allende: A Visit to Los Senderos
San Miguel de Allende has long been a city that has attracted the attention of North American travellers and expats who strive for a full …
San Miguel de Allende: The Panteón de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Cemetary and Cubafest
Brilliant sunshine greeted me again on March 8, 2014 when I set off on another mission to explore more of San Miguel de Allende. I …
Landmarks in San Miguel de Allende: La Biblioteca
After my excursion to Rancho Los Labradores I went back into the historic centre of San Miguel de Allende to explore another well-known landmark. “La …
Retiring in San Miguel de Allende: A Tour of Rancho Los Labradores
After an enjoyable lunch at Café Contento it was time to explore another entirely different aspect of San Miguel. Many people from Canada and the …
San Miguel Festivals: The Fiesta del Senor de la Reqonquista and Lunch at Café Contento
It’s incredible, but every day in San Miguel de Allende was more beautiful than the last. March 7, 2014 was no exception as the sun …
Learning about Mexican Culture at the Toy Museum of San Miguel de Allende
The sun was beaming down again on March 6, 2014 when I took the local bus into downtown San Miguel de Allende. In the morning …
Exploring Queretaro: The Plaza de Armas, Temple of the Congregation, de Museo de Arte and More
On March 5, 2014, Luis Casareal from Transportes Turisticos la Luz and I continued from Mineral de Pozos to the city of Santiago de Querétaro, …
Mineral de Pozos: A Former Mining Village turned into a Centre of Arts and Tourism
It was another gorgeous sunny day when local expert Luis Casareal and I embarked on an out-of-town excursion on March 5, 2014 from San Miguel …
The Botanical Garden of San Miguel de Allende and the Tianguis del Martes Tuesday Market
The sun was already beaming down from a blue sky on March 4, 2014 when I set out to explore another interesting destination in San …
San Miguel Travel: Art at La Fabrica Aurora and Dinner at Los Milagros
On the way back to San Miguel from my visit to La Gruta and Atotonilco, local expert Pablo and I stopped at La Fabrica Aurora, …
The Mask Museum of San Miguel de Allende, La Gruta and Atotonilco
March 3, 2014, another gorgeous day, started with a visit to the Mask Museum of San Miguel de Allende. Former advertising executive Bill LeVasseur, who …
Dinner in Collingwood and a Visit to the Scandinave Spa Blue Mountain
Now that we had explored the facilities of the Pretty River Valley Country Inn it was early evening and time for dinner. I asked inn …
Lunch at the Bruce Wine Bar in Thornbury and a Visit of the Pretty River Valley Country Inn
After our visit to the Georgian Trail in Grey County it was early afternoon and definitely time for lunch. The drive from Collingwood to Thornbury …
A Perfect Pairings Wine Tasting at Georgian Hills Vineyards
On our second day in Grey County, we enjoyed breakfast at the Guesthouse at Lake Eugenia. Our hostess Rosanne Caruso had made delicious crepes for …
A Bus Tour of the Scottish Highlands: Wool and Highland Cattle in the Trossachs
Finally, I saw my first day of sunshine in Scotland on May 30, 2014. Almost my entire trip to Europe had been blessed with warm …
Discoveries of Glasgow: The Necropolis and the People’s Palace
A mishap with my camera forced me to cut my visit at Glasgow’s Riverside Museum short. A travel writer and photographer is obviously no good …
A Pleasant Evening and Interesting Family Stories at the Dam Pub in Thornbury
From the Beaver Valley we drove a short distance to the pretty country town of Thornbury, which is located where the Beaver River flows into …
Paddling in the Scenic Beaver Valley
After our visit to Flesherton we continued our explorations of Grey County and drove past the quaint hamlet of Eugenia Falls which is famous for …
Walking through Flesherton, a Nice Country Village
We had really enjoyed our bike ride around Eugenia Lake, but now we were definitely getting hungry. As part of our explorations of Grey County …
Eugenia Falls – A Great Getaway Destination
Living in a vibrant metropolis like Toronto with all its summer festivals and street parties is exciting, but every once in a while it’s just …
My Last Day in Weiz and Saying Goodbye to Austria (Until Next Year)
My last full day in Austria had arrived and started, like all my other days before during this Europe trip, with brilliant sunshine. In the …
Styria – One of Austria’s Hidden Gems and a Great Place for Hiking
So far I had been absolutely fortunate on my European trip – the weather had been gorgeous with no clouds in the sky for 10 …
Culture, Farmers’ Markets, Churches and a High School Reunion in My Home Town of Weiz
On May 23, 2014 our time in Vienna came to an end and we boarded a train back to Graz, Austria’s second largest city. From …
A Visit to the Quirky Hundertwasserhaus, a Bike Ride on the Donauinsel and Other Explorations around Vienna
Vienna is not short on iconic destinations, and we continued our May 22, 2014 sightseeing adventure with a visit to the Hundertwasserhaus, a whimsical multi-coloured …
Culinary Delights at the Naschmarket in Vienna, Architectural Preservation at the Gasometers and a Visit to the Bahnorama Observation Tower
As the morning sun was shining down on us on May 22, 2014 we started our explorations of Vienna with a visit to the Naschmarkt, …
An Evening in Old Town Vienna with a Visit to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Graben and Hotel Sacher
It was getting late as we arrived back in Vienna in our speed boat after our excursion to Bratislava. We took the subway into the …
A Visit to Grassalkovich Palace in Bratislava
After having explored the compact medieval city core of Bratislava I still had about four hours left until our boat was going to depart back …
Exploring the Medieval Streets of Old Town Bratislava
Bratislava has a very compact historic centre while the outskirts of the city are characterized by a large agglomeration of Communist-era buildings. Having explored downtown …
A Speed Boat Trip to Bratislava and a Sightseeing Tour in a Little Red Fire Truck
The weather in Vienna couldn’t have been any better on May 21, 2014 when we embarked on another day of explorations. On this day, we …
The Prater – Vienna’s Amusement Park, the Belvedere, Schönbrunn Castle and an Evening in Grinzing
Continuing my explorations of Vienna on a sunny May 20, 2014 I wanted to go from the first district downtown to the Prater, the city’s …
Exploring Vienna’s Ringstrasse, the Votivkirche, the Burgtheater, Hofgarten and Burggarten
The Ringstrasse, Vienna’s opulent boulevard, features a large collection of impressive historicist buildings from the second half of the 19th century. After passing by the …
Viennese Discoveries at the Karlskirche, the Vienna Secession Building, the Vienna State Opera and the Ringstrasse
Another gorgeous day was in store for us on May 20, 2014. While my brother and sister-in-law went hiking in the Vienna Woods I set …
La Maison de L’Ile in Hawkesbury and the Old Jail of L’Orignal
My last day in Champlain Township in Eastern Ontario began with a relaxing breakfast at the Abadin Bed and Breakfast. Hosts Shirley and Ed were …
Vankleek Hill: A Visit to Garden Path Homemade Soap and Beau’s Octoberfest
On a sunny Saturday afternoon in early October, local expert Louise Sproule and I continued our explorations of Vankleek Hill and the surrounding area. We …
Vankleek Hill: The Stores on High Street, Historic Murals and Victorian Heritage
During a walk on High Street, the main street of Vankleek Hill, I got to meet several of the local merchants and I admired the historic murals that
Vankleek Hill, Ontario’s Gingerbread Capital: Visiting the Farmers Market, the Higginson Tower, the Arbor Gallery and the Vankleek Hill Museum
On our way from L’Orignal to Vankleek Hill, local expert Jacques des Besquets stopped the car in several strategic spots so I could get some …
A Visit to Abadin Bed and Breakfast, Dinner in Hawkesbury and a Walking Tour of l’Orignal
On the first weekend of October 2013 I embarked on another Ontario excursion – this time to Eastern Ontario, more precisely the Ottawa Valley and …
New York City Discoveries: The South Street Seaport, West Village and Greenwich Village
After my explorations on Wall Street I arrived at the South Street Seaport, a historic area on the east side of Manhattan, just south of …
Exploring Lower Manhattan: St. Paul’s Chapel, the Freedom Tower, Trinity Church and Wall Street
Walking south along Broadway I continued my tour of Lower Manhattan until I reached St. Paul’s Chapel. Constructed in 1764, this is the oldest surviving …
New York City: A Visit to the US Open, Exploring Foley Square and the Woolworth Building
New York City is an amazing destination for sports fans. Baseball fans can enjoy watching the New York Yankees and the New York Mets; basketball …
The Town of Catskill is Full of Cats
During our explorations of the Hudson Valley we made a stop at Catskill Point, located in the town of the same name at the confluence …
Historic Towns along the Hudson River: Coxsackie, Athens and the Rip van Winkle Bridge
Continuing our explorations in the Catskills region, we drove to Coxsackie, a historic town on the banks of the mighty Hudson River. The strange-sounding name …
A Little Bit of Germany in the Catskills: The Historic Bavarian Manor Country Inn
Sports travel is an important part of the tourism industry, and people travel far and wide to attend football, baseball, hockey or basketball games and …
Oakville, a Scenic Destination with a Great Waterfront
The sun was shining on a nice Saturday in September when I embarked on another local excursion, this time to Oakville, Ontario, located about 20 …
Exploring Lake Simcoe: Keswick, Jacksons Point and Sibbald Point
On a gorgeous Friday morning in early September of 2013 I decided to go on a driving tour and explore some destinations close to home. …
La Maison de L’Ile in Hawkesbury and the Old Jail of L’Orignal
My last day in Champlain Township in Eastern Ontario began with a relaxing breakfast at the Abadin Bed and Breakfast. Hosts Shirley and Ed were …
Vankleek Hill: A Visit to Garden Path Homemade Soap and Beau’s Octoberfest
On a sunny Saturday afternoon in early October, local expert Louise Sproule and I continued our explorations of Vankleek Hill and the surrounding area. We …
Vankleek Hill: The Stores on High Street, Historic Murals and Victorian Heritage
After our tasty lunch at Vert Fourchette, local expert Louse Sproule – the publisher of “The Review”, the award winning local newspaper – took me …
Vankleek Hill, Ontario’s Gingerbread Capital: Visiting the Farmers Market, the Higginson Tower, the Arbor Gallery and the Vankleek Hill Museum
On our way from L’Orignal to Vankleek Hill, local expert Jacques des Besquets stopped the car in several strategic spots so I could get some …
Champlain Township: A Visit to Abadin Bed and Breakfast, Dinner in Hawkesbury and a Walking Tour of l’Orignal
On the first weekend of October 2013 I embarked on another Ontario excursion – this time into Eastern Ontario, more precisely the Ottawa Valley and …
Vienna Attractions: the Hofburg Palace, the Bermuda Triangle & the Museumsquartier
On our first day in Vienna, May 19, 2014 we continued our walk through the first district to the Michaelerplatz (St. Michael’s Square) which faces …
Arrival in Vienna: Exploring the Stadtpark, St. Stephens Cathedral and the Graben
After a couple of exciting days in Venice I boarded the train at the Santa Lucia railway station and headed north to Austria, my native …
Discoveries of Venice: the Rialto Bridge, Canale Grande, the Piazza San Marco and Giudecca Island
The weather was absolutely brilliant on May 17, 2014 when I started my explorations of Venice. I only had one full day in “La Serenissima”, …
Discovering Brussels on a Layover to Venice
During my 6 hours layover on the way to Venice, I decided to leave the Brussels Airport, take the train and explore the Belgian capital to see some of the main sights such as the Groote Markt, the Galeries Saint Hubert, the Cathedral, the Royal Palace and the Palace of Justice.
Fantastic Architecture in Asheville: the Jackson Building, Grove Arcade and the Basilica of St. Lawrence
Asheville, North Carolina, has a great collection of early 20th century architecture. After a day of rain and ugly weather I made it my mission …
A Trolley Tour through Asheville, North Carolina
In the northern part of the US and Canada, spring often arrives very late; cold and grey weather can last into April and sometimes even …
Exploring San Miguel de Allende: Visiting the Instituto Allende, the Parque Juarez and the Santa Cruz del Chorro Chapel
After a night of pretty heavy fever I woke up with major congestion and a headache on March 2, 2014. It was another brilliant day …